Planning

My own mother had 8 children.  EIGHT!  Back then there was no ultrasounds to find out the gender, she had them all 'natural', and they came when they came.  I know there are still ones out there that choose to go that same route.  I even have friends that have home births.  I think that is awesome for them...just not for me.

I like my doctor.  I like hearing my babies heartbeat each visit.  I am thankful this time around to know that we are bringing a boy into our family.  I am thankful that I will be able to have this baby in a hospital surrounded with people that know how to care for my baby, and make sure things go smoothly.  I also like the fact that I have a doctor that is willing to work with me and my 'planning.'

We planned for this baby, but I never realized how incredibly hard this would be to have a baby in MAY!  May is chock full of field trips, piano recitals, dance recitals, EVMCO concert, graduations, and end of the year festivities. 

As the time has drawn closer, I continued to look at my calendar and hypervenhilate.  My due date was/is Friday, May 20th.  On Thursday, May 19th -  Sydney & Shawn have a night rehearsal with EVMCO.  On Friday, May 20th - Another night rehearsal with EVMCO.  Saturday, May 21st - Sydney has a dance recital in the morning, and then that afternoon Shawn and Sydney are headed to The MAC for their performance of The Amazing Grace with Collin Raye.  

Seriously the worst time to have a baby for me. So my lovely doctor has made my world brighter.  On Friday, May 13th...I get to have this baby!  It is so nice to know that I won't have to stress over the following weekend.  I still kinda laugh that I am able to 'plan' it, but I am thankful all at the same time. 

Happy Birthday!

Last night when I went to bed, I was pretty sure that I was going to skip the induction. I was really scared about something going wrong, and thought I was going to give it a couple more days to see if I would go into labor on my own. We woke up in the morning, Shawn got ready for work...and I was set to go about my day. My induction was scheduled for 7:30 am, but we didn't go. Shawn left for work, and then the nurse from L & D called around 8. I voiced my concerns about being induced, and after speaking with her. I changed my mind. I called Shawn and had him turn around and come home. We joked that I wanted it to be spontaneous.

We showed up at the hospital, and got set up around 10 or 11ish. Things were slow at first. The baby was in a position that didn't put enough pressure on my cervix to help things along as fast as we would like it. The nurse kept thinking that she would come in and I would be complete. Thank goodness for epidurals because things just went by like a breeze. They checked me around 7 pm and I was only at a 6! I thought this is going to take FOREVER! But I ended up going from the 6 to complete within the hour! The doctor came and our little bundle was born 15 minutes later! It was a wonderful delivery, and we are so happy!

So without further ado...INTRODUCING!

Thomas Dean

7lbs 14oz

19 1/4 inches long

He is perfect in every way! I have to say it was so exciting to have him pop out and have everyone exclaim... "It's a BOY!" I think I actually prefer it this way, but I don't think that Shawn would let us do it again if we have more children. He looks alot like Caden did. Alot more blond features with lots and lots of hair. We also know he as atleast one dimple on his right cheek. One of the funny things is he has a small blister on his hand from sucking on it in the womb! I had never seen something like that before.

I just knew that you all were DYING to hear the news! You can see more pictures by clicking on 'Our Family Pictures' in the sidebar. Thanks so much for all of your encouragment... I truly feel loved!

I am still here

Hey peoples! Yes...I am still here with a big ol' tummy. I am hoping that today might be the day, but we will see. The kids are getting so excited about this babies arrival. Last night at the dinner table Caden turned to Shawn and said, "Daddy, aren't you sooo excited for our baby to come?" It was the cutest thing to come out of his mouth.

This past week he has wanted to look at my blog to see the ticker and how 'big' the baby has gotten. He even wanted to look at pictures of him and Sydney when they were born. So we pulled up the files, and was looking through the pictures. I debated putting these pictures up because the ones from Caden's are hideous...but I was amazed at how different I looked.

My new found blog friend, Cindy of The Reed Clan, recently left me a sweet comment on how she thinks about me every time she forces herself to exercise. It made me feel good to be able to motivate someone. I really have to say that I feel that exercising during my last two pregnancies has been the best thing that I have ever done. Even on the days that I felt like crap...when I made myself go...it really made a difference. I think it really helped me from getting any water retention, and made my recovery so much better. I can't say I really enjoyed exercising everyday, but I feel like it really helped.

So don't laugh, but here are the pictures of me after I had Caden, and then after I had Sydney. Keep in mind that I started at same pre-pregnancy weight with both of them. I didn't exercise at all with Caden, but went to the gym regulary with Sydney. I also wasn't kicking my tail when I exercised either...I went to yoga two days a week, and then the other three I would walk at a leisurly pace on the the elliptical or treadmill. I think the main thing was just keeping my body moving!

Hopefully we can add another picture here soon. I am crossing my fingers that I can go into labor on my own today! Wish me luck!

The end is near...

I got up this morning very hopeful. My doctors appointment was at 9 am. I have had dreams in my head of him telling me that today was the day (despite the fact that I didn't really want a leap year baby). I know I should be more patient, and life is going to be alot more crazy once this third child comes into our lives, but I can't help but be anxious.

So I went in...he checked...and nope...nothing. I maybe dilated a half of a centimeter to a 2. He did strip my membranes again, but still nothing. I think this baby is already showing me how stubborn they are going to be. I guess I make things a little too comfortable for him/her. I have tried to make myself feel better by telling myself that I think they had my due date wrong to begin with. I had originally thought that I was due on March 15, but then they did an ultrasound and said March 7th. I wasn't going to argue about having my baby a week earlier. But maybe that is why I haven't had much progress yet.

Anyway, my doc was nice enough to put me on the induction list for March 6th. So at least there is a 'light at the end of the tunnel'. I really am hoping that I can go into labor on my own. I have never been induced, and a part of that scares me. I have heard of people having no problems at all. Yet, I have also heard of people getting induced when their bodies weren't ready, then not being able to progress, and end up with an emergency c-section....that is something I do not want. So I am torn. I want this baby out, but I also am afraid of something going wrong if I am induced. So lets all cross our fingers that I can actually go into labor before the 6th. :)

We are planning on going to the zoo tomorrow...so maybe that will give this babe a push in the right direction! Wish me luck, and I will keep you posted!

Waiting

The nice thing about people who have to have a c-section is that you can plan ahead. The surgery is scheduled, a date is given. There doesn't have to be anyone 'on call' for when you go into labor because everyone already knows when it is going to happen. The kids are taken care of, and there isn't as much 'panic' that can happen when a person actually goes into labor.

I don't really want to ever have a c-section, but I sure hate the 'waiting' phase of pregnancy. I went to the doctor today for my weekly check-up. I am about 80% effaced and dilated to 1 1/2 cm....which was the same from last week. So no progress. I was a little bummed, but what can I expect, I am two weeks from my estimated due date. I had him strip my membranes, but who knows if it will actually do anything.

Throughout this whole pregnancy I have talked about how I don't really want to have my baby on the 29th because then the baby will only REALLY be able to celebrate their birthday every 4 years. My next appointment is on the 29th, and if I haven't gone into labor by then...my doctor will probably strip my membranes again. With my luck I will go into labor that day, and have this baby. As with everything, I will have to wait and see.

I can't complain too much because, for the most part, I am doing pretty well. I am able to do pretty much everything I would want to do. I am uncomfortable, but still functioning. There is little things that I could still get done. I just have to keep telling myself that it is okay that I haven't had this baby yet. I just don't want to make it to my due date. There is just something about hitting that day, even though I know it is just 'estimated', that depresses me. If it does happen...it will be okay, but I am hoping that it doesn't. In the meantime...I will be waiting!

Will it be pink or blue?

Since we didn't find out what we are having, I thought we could have a little contest. Just leave a comment with your guess on these items

Boy or Girl?

Birthdate

Weight

Length

I thought I would give you a quick run through of Caden's and Sydney's pregnancies so you can take the info into consideration.

With Caden I gained about 40 lbs. He was born on September 13th...3 days AFTER his due date of September 10th. He weighed 9 lbs 7 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long.

With Sydney I gained about 25 lbs. She was born on September 29th...9 days EARLY from her due date of October 7. She weighed 7 lbs 11oz and was 21 inches long.

So far with this pregnancy I have gained around 25 lbs and my estimated due date is March 7th. I think the fact that I exercised with both Sydney and this baby has really helped. With Caden I was really lazy, and didn't do much more than sleep and lay around!

Get your guessing cap on and submit your answer in the comments (you don't have to have a Blogger/Gmail account you can still leave a comment...just be sure to leave some way for me to contact you)! The person with the closest guess will recieve a Super Fabulous Mystery Prize! (I promise...it will be really cool)

Oh The Joys...

I have to admit that for the most part, I really enjoy being pregnant. I am lucky enough that I don't get morning sickness. I do get extremely tired, but thats about it. So far this pregnancy has been pretty good. I am still on track of not gaining too much weight (Only about 23 lbs so far), and up until last week I was doing great.

Now I am in that final stretch. I have about a month left, and boy am I feeling it. It is now at that point that everything I do is just plain uncomfortable! Sitting, standing, BENDING OVER, it just isn't fun. During the last part of all my pregnancies, my back really gives me a hard time. I look forward to my weekly chiropractor visits. The nice thing is that the baby is almost here, and I only have to deal with being uncomfortable for a few more weeks or maybe less.

It is kinda strange for me to think about the fact that I am going to have 3 children! I am excited yet scared all at the same time. The kids are getting more and more excited, and I have a ton more things to do before our baby's arrival. In the meantime, I will be "enjoying" the wonderful things associated with getting larger, and larger everyday. :)

You asked...Part Two

If you missed the answers to the last question and answer you can find it here.

Becky from Tiffany & Co asked

What is inside the envelope?

It turns out that Julie of Truly Delightful in Everyway wants to know the same thing, and along the same lines…Carey of care{y}t-tops and Sandy of The Smith Family want to know if I am having a boy or a girl. And Little Momma of It’s a Wonderful Life asked if I would prefer one or the other with this next one.

Those of you who have been reading for the last couple of months know exactly what envelope Becky is talking about. If not you can read about it here. Yes, that is right…back in October we went and got our ultrasound. Instead of finding out the sex, we had the tech print out the ‘evidence’. She sealed and stapled it and gave it to me…and to this day it remains unopened.

Before I ever got pregnant with this third baby, I thought it would be fun to ‘not find out’. Back in the day when my mother was having children they didn’t even have a choice. One of the funnest things I remember about my younger brother being born was the anticipation of finding out what my mom was having. Since I have a boy and a girl already, I thought this would be the perfect time to keep it a mystery. I would be happy with either one so I think that is why I am so content with not knowing.

There have been times during these past few months where I thought it would be nice to know, but the anticipation of waiting keeps me from looking. I have found it somewhat amusing at how much it gets to people that I haven’t opened the envelope yet. I know it is driving a lot of you crazy, but I am really excited. Now we are at the point where it would be silly to look. I am due on March 7th so it means that I only have about 7 weeks left…and that is if I go into labor on time. With Caden I was 3 days late, and with Sydney I was 9 days early. So it could go either way. I figure that I have waited this long…I can wait just a little more.

So the only thing that I know for sure is inside that envelope is a piece of paper that has a picture of the certain anatomy of a baby. I think we may have to have a contest in the near future, and you all can guess what you think we are having, when the baby will be born and all the other fun stats (weight & height)

April of The Bethea Bunch asked

Do you have any pets, and if so, what kind?

Why in the world would I need any pets…I have one already…hee hee. The real answer is No. This post pretty much sums it up for us. I have nothing against pets themselves, I just prefer them not to be in our house. To me it is just another thing that I would have to take care of. The only problem is that a pet will never grow up or become more independent. We may eventually get a pet, but that will be when the kids are old enough to take care of it, and most likely it will be an outdoor pet. So I am sorry to all you pet lovers out there. For me, it just isn’t in the cards.

I had a couple of people ask about Shawn & me (how we met, how long we have been together, and how I knew he was the one etc…) so the next post will be dedicated to our little story. Also if you think of anything else you would like to know, don't hesitate to ask!

Weekend Fun

We had a pretty good weekend. On Friday, Shawn and I were able to go on a date. We went at grabbed a bite to eat at Pei Wei's and then headed out to watch "I am Legend." It is that new movie out with Will Smith. It was a pretty interesting film. It kinda has the same feel of Cast Away...lots of silence, not alot of music, and of course...only one main character. Will did a great job of carrying the role. I didn't like the ending as much, but the movie was an interesting concept. Apparently it is a remake of some 70's flick. I could never imagine living in a world where I was the only survivor. You will have to go see it and tell me what you thought.

On Saturday we woke up early and set up to tackle some projects. First I cut the boys hair. I really wish I knew how to do it a little better, but Shawn never seems to complain. In in end it saves us alot of money, and I guess the more I do it...the better I will get. It was so cute when we were finished. Sydney got up on the stool, and said "my turn." I guess that she felt a little left out. I wet her hair down, and then combed it out. She wanted me to use the clippers, but I refrained. We still haven't even trimmed Sydney's hair!

After haircuts we set out to put up our outside lights. We had meant to do them a few weeks back, but with Shawn out of town, and the rain...it never happened. So we finally drug out the box of lights, and set to work. Shawn did the majority of the work, and Sydney enjoyed hanging out with Dad for a bit. We still need to buy some more lights for the outside, but atleast we have some.

Later in the afternoon, we headed over to Tori and Tracy's for "Take Two" of our gingerbread houses. We hoped that these would fair better than our last attempt, and we are glad to say that it was a success! Caden was more into eating the candy this year than actually decorating it, but we still had fun. Tori and Tracy live right down the street from the Mesa Temple so afterwards we bundled up and went to see the lights. It really is one of the most beautiful light displays. At one point, Sydney didn't want to be in the stroller anymore, and all she wanted to do was "walk with Abby." They were so cute walking around hand in hand. It has been so fun watching Sydney...she is getting so independent, and just loves spending time with others.

One thing that has been different this time around is being pregnant during cold weather! Both Caden and Sydney were September babies so I never needed a jacket that would fit around my growing belly. Luckily it doesn't get too cold here, but I may have to go out and by myself a maternity jacket. I feel like it had taken forever for me to actually "look" pregnant, and not just fat...and then it seems as if I woke up this week, and now I am huge! The sad thing is that I know I am only going to get bigger! Oh the joys of pregnancy! Anyhoo, I had Shawn take some pictures of my fat self so you all can see how I am progressing, and be thankful that you aren't has fat as me! :) I am now 7 months along, and March is just around the corner! I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has gone by. (Oh...and BTW...No, we haven't opened the envelope yet! :)

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! :)